Sport boot



March l, 1938. E. MATTHIAS ET Al. 2,109,751

SPORT BOOT Filed April 3, 1956 2 sheets-sheet 1 ATTORNEY.

l March l, 1938. E. MATTHIAS ET A1.

SPORT BOOT Filed April 3, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l INVENTOR:

ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 1,

2,109,151 sroa'r Boor APMENT AoFFl'cr.;

Eugen Matthias and Giovanni Testa, St. Moritz, Switzerland; said Testaassigner to said Mat- Application April 3,

Serial No. .72,582

In switzerland rias, 1935 Claims.

This invention relates to a sport shoe, which is particularly adaptedfor ski-running andmountaineering. In consequence of this particularapplication for the shoe, the principle on which the 5 invention isbased involves a heel problem and a metatarsal problem. Hitherto, sportshoes of this kind were shaped mainly from the point of view of thetechnics of the sport for which they were to serve without giving dueregard to the physilO ology of the conditions of movement which ariseduringparticipation in the sport concerned.

'I'he technique of ski-running as well as the technique ofmountaineering requires heels as low as possible. This requirementcalls'for an accordingly low disposition oi' the heel i`nconsequence ofwhich a construction of a sh-last was devised, the rise in the shankportion of which was very small. This necessitates' a shoe whichis veryslightly cambered so that the heel must 2 0 extend down deeply into theheel cap in order that it come to bear against the inner sole, `Thesecircumstances are contrary to the anatomic structure of the foot. In thenaturally released condition, the fore-foot extends down below the levelof the heel.

The problem solved by means of the present 'invention in regard to sportshoes with a view to shaping them at least to some extent in conformitywith the ordinary shoes, which are adapted to the anatomic conditions,thus consists in raising the heel and in suspending the middle of theboot from above. This is accomplished by providing the shoe with twosuperposed instep closures opposite to which a wedge-shaped foot a archsupporter is arranged in the sole which extends from the heel to themetatarsal arch at va.

uniform taper.

This boot tends to restore proper conditionsby raising the heel and bysuspending the middle -of the boot. The aim is accomplished by providingtwo separate instep flaps adapted to be tightly spanned in overlappingposition-'in inventive cooperation With an extra inserted shoe solebrace IB which curves forwardly and downwardly from 'the heel graduallyto disappear under the metatarsal arch. l

In the accompanying drawings two embodiments of. our invention are shownby way of example only in which: Fig. 1 shows a shoe representing afirst embodiment as seen from the side with the sole portion broken outand the lacing of the shoe only :halfway effected; Fig. 2 shows asideView of the completely laced 55 shoe;

fications of a plurality oi? mechanical embodi- Fig. 3 is a top planviewof the shoe shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. '4 shows a side view of a shoe representing a second embodimentwith the exteriorinstep cover strip, which is not yet laced down, bent 5back;.-

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of Fig. 4 with the exterior instep cover stripshown in section, and

-,Fig. 6 is a side view of the completely laced shoe.

It is to be realized that the scope of our invention comprehends manyequivalent constructions. The-showing of the drawings and the particulardescription are merely specific exempli- 15 ments and arrangements.

About the region of the instep of the shoe upper a relatively' wideinstep cover strip 2 is ctout from the shoe-top longitudinally thereofso as to extend to the metatarsus where it is integral with theremainder or toe-covering portion of the shoe. An interior instep coverstrip 3 is arranged parallel withthe exterior instep cover strip 2 andis firmly secured at its forward and lower -end to vthe shoe-top at apoint below the integrally connected end of the strip 2 and consists ofsoft leather, the marginal portions thereof being sewed together withthe lateral marginal edges I of the shoe-top I.` On both lateralportions of the shoe-top I string hooks 5 are provided which' are sodmensioned that they arey adapted to accommodate two shoe-strings.

In the ilrstv embodiment of the inventionvas shown lin the Figs. 1 to 3on the exterior instep cover strip 2, string hooks B aie alsofastened tothe edges thereof. However, aslowermost means for receiving the lacing,eyelets l are provided; and as uppermost means for this purpose eyelets8, which are` situated so far down from the uppermost hooks 5 that withthe aid of a shoe string 9 the instep cover strip 2 can be tensionedvigorously, are also provided. This lacing is carried into eiect asfollows: At first the shoe-string 9is passed across the interior instepcover strip 3 and through the hooks 5 arranged on the edges 4 of theshoe-top I, then the end portions of this shoe-string 9 are passedthrough the upper eyelets 8 o f the exterior instep cover strip 2 andtied into an exterior knot, thereby tensioning the exterior instep coverstrip 2. The considerable spacing between the edges 4 of the two lateralportions of the shoe-top I permit of pulling these edgesvigorouslytoward one another by means of the shoe-string 9, whereuponthe soft interior` instep cover strip 3 becomes folded and the shoetop Iis caused to bear snugly against the foot.

The second lacing is carried out in such manner that a shoe-string I ispassed across the exterior instep cover strip 2 and through the lowereyelets 1 thereof and is then continued through the hooks 6 of theexterior instep cover strip 2 and the hooks 5'of the lateral portions ofthe shoe-top I. The upper ends of the shoe-string IIJ are passed aboutthe top I and tied together. Finally a leather strap II, which is sewedonto the upper edge of the exterior instep cover strip 2, is tightenedand closed by means of a buckle I2. Opposite this lacing a wedge-shapedheel and shank member I 6 is arranged between an intervening sole I4,which overlies the exterior sole I3, and the inner sole I5, as well asthe heel and shank piece I1. The wedge-shaped heel and shank member I6extends from the heel forwardly to the region of the metatarsal arch ofthe foot, advantageously, to the front end of the metatarsal bones andtapers gradually into a knife edge.

In the region of the heel the thickness of Ithe wedge-shaped heel andshank member I6 is relaf tively great. This member I6 is reinforced by aportion I1 which is, advantageously, somewhat thicker than usual and isprolonged to the end of the wedge-shaped member I6. At the region of theinner marginal portionof the arch of the foot the inserted heel andshank member is, ad-

vantageously, somewhat raised above the corresponding outer side of the'foot arch. With the aid of the wedge-shaped arch supporting member I6,reinforced by the member I1, the foot is held in its natural position onthe exterior sole I3 and the heel I8 attached thereto, so as to maintainits natural form and vaulting. Inorder to maintain this form lastingly,the lacings 9, III mentioned above are provided which permit ofsuspending the middle of the sole and therefore of the foot in itsnatural form and vaulting from the tensioned exterior cover strip 2 andconfine it from above.

In the second embodiment of the invention, as shown in the Figs. 4 to 6,the exterior instep cover strip 2 has no upper eyelets, but an exteriorauxiliary string hook 20 which is disposed at the center portionsomewhat lower than the pair of uppermost hooks 5 and, that is, in thelongitudinal middle plane of this instep cover strip. On each lateralportion of the shoe-top I an eyelet 2I is provided.

When the shoe is to be laced, the shoe string 9 is at rst pulled throughthe upper eyelets 2| of the shoe-top I'and then passeddownwardly throughthree lower stringhooks 5 by crossing the interior instep cover strip(the uppermost string hooks of these rows of hooksv string are pulleddownwardly, one of these portions being passed from the respectiveuppermost string hook 5 downwardly about the auxiliary string hook 20,whereupon the two string portions are tied into a knot between theauxiliary string hook 20 and the other uppermost string hook 5.. Duringthis tying operation the exterior instep cover strip 2 is tensioned bytightening the shoe-string correspondingly. In this Way the doublelacing is finished and the shoe rmly secured on the foot.

In this manner the exterior instep cover strip can be Well tightened ina beneficial manner with -the very advantageous result that the shoelits thefoot very closely, while only one shoe-string is necessary forthis double lacing.

We claim:-

1. A sport boot comprising the combination of a sole structure,including a reinforcing element shaped to conform to the arch of thefoot, a shoe upper provided along opposite sides with hooks, an instepcover strip attached to said shoe only at its lower end and at a pointnearer its toe than its instep and adapted to overlap the sides of theshoe upper, means cooperating with the leg of the wearer for tensioningsaid strip to hold its middle spaced `from the shoe instep and lacinglooped around said hooks and interlocked\with margins of said strip fordrawing the reinforced -sole and strip toward each other whereby saidstrip is adapted to suspend the foot arch of the wearer.

2. A sport boot comprising in combination, a sole structure including anarched and forwardly tapering reinforcing element, a shoe upper, a rowof hooks along opposite sides of the latter. an instep cover stripattached only at one end to the toe below its instep area, 'said stripbeing provided near its attached end with eyelets and also along each ofits margins with a row o1' hooks, means for placing said strip intension from the leg of the wearer and a single lacing looped about saidhooks in a direction from top to bottom underneath said strip forlightly constricting the shoe upper and also passed upwardly throughsaid eyelets and then looped about the strip hooks and shoe upper hooksin a direction from said eyelets toward the top of the shoe whereby todraw said sole structure and strip toward each other and achieve asuspension of the foot arch.

3. A sport boot comprising the combination of a solek structureincluding a shank portionl shaped to conform to the arch of the foot andextending from the heel to the metatarsal arch of the foot of thewearer, a shoe upper provided along both opposite sides with a row ofhooks, with a soft foldable inner instep-cover strip secured therealongbetween said hooks and with an eyeleted outer instep-cover stripattached thereto only at its lower end whereby to adapt it to overlapsaid inner instep-cover strip, lateral margins of said outerinstep-cover strip likewise each carrying a row of hooks, lacing loopedabout said hooks on the upper boot structure for constricting the latterand creasing the inner strip and lacing passed through eyelets Iin saidouter instep-cover strip and on both sides of the boot being loopedaround and strung back and forth between the row of hooks on the outerinstep-cover strip and said rows of hooks on the upper boot structure,the outer instep-cover strip being additionally provided near the middleof its upper end withla hook, said lacing also occupying the bight ofsaid last mentioned hook and adapted to exert an upward pull thereon fortautening said outer instep-cover strip, whereby the latter functions asa suspension element for the shank portion of the sole and hence of themiddle foot of the wearer.

4. In a sport boot, the combination of a sole conform to the arch of thefoot, a 'shoe upper including toe and side portions, an instep-coveringstrip having its lower end secured to the toe portion at a pointforwardly of the lower vfront end of the instep of the shoe, means fordrawing the upper end of said strip upwardly and adapted to tauten it inspaced relation above the entire instep portion of the shoe and lacingbetween the shoe upper and the lateral margins of said strip and adaptedto hang the sole structure from opposite ends of said strip as points ofsuspension. y

5. A sport boot comprising in combination, a sole, forwardly taperedmeans for reinforcing said sole at the shank portion thereof, saidreinforcing means conforming substantially to the arch of the foot ofthe wearer, a shoe upper secured to said sole, a strip connected at oneend to the toe portion of said shoe upper and adapted at the other endto be connected to the ankle of the wearer, means for drawing said striptaut, and lacing .for connecting said tautened strip and the shoe upper,and adaptedv to draw said reinforcing means against the bottom of thefoot. 6. A sport boot comprising in combination, a sole, means forreinforcing said sole under the arch of the foot of the wearer, saidreinforcing' means shaped to conform to the arch of the foot anddiminishing in thickness progressively in a direction from the heeltoward the toe, a shoe upper secured to said sole, and including a rmtoe-portion and an instep-covering strip extending from the latter,meansvfor connecting the instep-covering strip with the ankle of thewearer and adapted to tauten it, and lacing connecting said strip andshoe upper and adapted to exercise a lifting eiiect upon the arch of thefoot of the wearer.

7. A sport boot comprising in combination, a

composite sole structure including outer and in-l ner layers andtherebetween a reinforcing element shaped to conform to the arch of thefoot of the wearer, a shoe upper including a rigid toe-portion, aninstep-cover strip attached at its lower end to said toe-portion, meansfor encircling the ankle of the wearer for tautening said instep-coverstrip, and lacing for drawing together appositioned margins of said shoeupper structure and instep-cover strip and adapted to suspend the solestructure and the arch portion of the foot of the wearer whereby tominimize muscle strain and to cause the reinforcing element to maintainthe natural arch of the foot of the wearer.

8. A sport boot comprising in combination, a composite sole structureincluding outer and inner layers and there between a reinforcing membershaped to conform to the arch of the foot,

said reinforcing member extending from the heel forwardly to the regionof the metatarsal arch of the foot of the wearer and said member beingprogressively thinner in a direction from heel to toe, a shoe upperincluding a rigid toe-portion, an instep-cover strip attached at itslower end to said y toe-portion, means for longitudinally tautening saidinstep-cover strip and lacing for drawing togetherappositioned marginsof said shoe upper and instep-cover strip and adapted to suspend thesole structure and the arch of the foot of the wearer whereby tominimize muscle strain and to cause the reinforcing arch to maintain thenatural arch ofI the foot of the wearer.

9. A sport boot comprising in combination, a shoe upper provided withhooks along opposite sides thereof, a composite sole structure includeing outer and inner soles and an arched re-enforcing element betweensaid soles which element is shaped to conform to the arch of the footand extends from the rear of the heel to the extautened strip.

10. A sport boot comprising the combination of a sole structureincluding a reinforcing element shaped to conform to the arch of thefoot,

extending and thinned in a direction fromv the heel to the ball of thefoot, an instep-covering suspension element, connections for stretchingsaid element between the toe and the top of the 4shoe and means fordrawing the shoe upper and said suspension element toward each otherwhereby to exert a lifting force upon said sole v,

structure.

EUGEN MA'I'I'HIAS. GIOVANNI TESTA.

